For International Nurse Educators

BSN to DNP Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) and Nursing Education Minor

Many countries are experiencing a critical shortage of nurses, especially when compared to the World Health Organizations’ minimum standard of 1 nurse for every 500 people. Most populous countries need at least two million more nurses to meet that standard and to ensure adequate coverage rates.

A contributing factor to nurse shortages world-wide is that there is not enough teaching faculty in the discipline. Schools lacking enough doctorally-prepared faculty cannot produce the number of RNs and advanced practice nurses needed to treat patients and to advance health care.

The Need for Nurse Educators

Studies consistently conclude that the clinical nurse specialist (CNS) is a valuable health care resource, providing high-quality clinical and evidence-based nursing practice and improving patient outcomes. Internationally, there has been a push over the last decade to add specialized nurse training, particularly for the CNS in the area of critical care. However, the faculty shortage issue again comes into play.

The University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing offers a concentration (the Adult-Gerontology CNS) within its Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program that will prepare a student to become certified as a CNS; students also take the Nursing Education minor in order to serve as faculty for CNS and undergraduate programs across the globe.

The Program at Pitt Nursing

Coursework and hands-on learning opportunities in the DNP-CNS program cover care of patients and families in both acute and ambulatory settings. The three-year program includes classes including design and process of Instruction, the science of health care delivery, organizational and management theory, measurement and evaluation of curriculum, CNS role implementation, grant writing, public policy, and ethics.

Two key components of the DNP program are clinical practicums and the culminating DNP project. Clinical experiences (up to 1000 hours) take place in one of the world-class hospitals adjacent to the School of Nursing. Some of the clinical hours may be spent in educational settings, with Pitt faculty and/or hospital-based educators. The DNP project permits students to apply theoretical and practical knowledge gained from the three-year program to an actual problem or situation.

The Minor in Nursing Education combines didactic courses and two field-based preceptorships in settings and roles that match the student’s interest. The curriculum prepares students to apply instructional theory and research, design progressive education programs, understand and utilize multiple teaching strategies and technologies, and develop appropriate learner assessment activities.

In order to adequately address the shortage of doctorally-prepared nursing faculty, programs such as Pitt Nursing’s Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist with the Nursing Education Minor are essential.

Graduates are prepared to:

Serve as academic and/or clinical faculty, educating the next generation of nurses
Act as a teacher, mentor, and leader in advancing nursing practice
Develop quality improvement projects and test innovative practices

Curriculum Format

Admit annually Fall Term only
Onsite / Full-time (3 years)

The DNP-CNS program is 81 credits with a minimum of 1000 clinical residency hours. The Nursing Education Minor is 12 credits, including 330 practicum hours in an educational setting. A select list of courses is provided here and is subject to change:

**Theoretical**
Nursing Graduate Orientation Module	Nursing Graduate Orientation Module
Health Promotion/Disease Prevent in Culturally Diverse Populations	Healthcare Outcomes
Introduction to Health Informatics	Differential Diagnosis Theory across the Life Span
Management of Adults with Episodic/Chronic Health Problems in Acute Care Theory	Management of Geriatric Health
Introduction to Genetics and Molecular Therapeutics	Research for Evidence Based Practice
Advanced Pharmacology	Management of Complex Health Problems of Acutely/Critically Ill Adult
Finance and Economics for Healthcare Leaders	CNS Role Implementation
Organizational and Management Theory	Applied Statistics for Evidence-Based Practice
The Science of Health Care Delivery	Public Policy in Health Care
Ethics in Healthcare

**Practice-Related**
The Diagnostic Physical Exam across the Life Span	Differential Diagnosis Clinical
CNS Clinical Practicum	CNS Role Practicum
Grant Writing	DNP Project
Capstone Clinical

**Preparing for the Educator Role**
Measurement and Evaluation	Design and Process of Instruction
Manuscript Development

Select Admission Criteria

Successful completion of a baccalaureate nursing program with a 3.0 or higher GPA (based on the US 4 point scale)

Valid Pennsylvania nursing license (prior to clinical practicum courses) -- Student must obtain a registered nurse (RN) license in Pennsylvania prior to embarking upon clinical experiences. To be eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) in PA, the applicant must obtain Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) certification.

Pre-requisite statistics course with equivalent grade of B or higher (completed within 5 years or concurrently in the first term)

Complete admissions and application information for all international students is available here.

Consider earning your degree at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. Pitt Nursing is ranked ninth among schools of nursing in U.S. News & World Report’s 2020 Best Graduate Schools. Members of the nursing faculty bring to the classrooms the passion for nursing, incredible research or practice expertise, and a dedication to student success. The University itself has won accolades as the EIGHTH best U.S. school at which to study health professions (College Factual) and among the top 100 universities in The Times Higher Education World Universities in its 2016 rankings. Pitt is home to almost 10,000 Master’s and doctoral students, a third of which come from countries outside of the U.S. The institution provides support service and academic and social programming to help such students to transition seamlessly to American higher education and succeed in their program of study. Most particularly, international students enjoy Pitt and Pittsburgh’s urban environment with its fascinating array of museums, restaurant, theatre, and cultural offerings.